How Cool is your Safeway?

Michaela Jarvis

Published:

Getty Images News

If you live near one of the big, newly remodeled Safeways, you might find yourself carrying on at cocktail parties about the new sushi bar at your store. Or how you tasted wine and chatted with the winemaker, your half-full grocery cart parked just outside the velvet rope of the new wine bar. Maybe you’ll regale your listeners with your adventures of choosing just the right roasted nuts from the nut bar.

Well, la-di-da. Those of us who live near an old-school Safeway are sick of hearing it. Not all Safeways are created equal. In fact—through what is no doubt a complicated set of calculations involving income levels, store size, and local competitors—they’re quite different, as shown by a comparison of stores from opposite ends of the spectrum.

East First Street, Livermore Welcome to what is basically a Safeway mall, with Jamba Juice, an Internet café, Starbucks, panini sandwiches, various bars (sushi, wine, nut, and soup), refrigerated wine cellar (can you say 1999 Ridge Monte Bello at $159.99?), artisan bread counter, grinders to make fresh peanut butter, mood lighting, plus all the fluorescent-colored junk food we’ve come to expect in an American grocery store. The Pleasanton-based company hopes to upgrade most of its stores to this “lifestyle store” model by 2010.

Patterson Boulevard, Pleasant Hill Updating this location is obviously not first on Safeway’s to-do list. Changes to this starkly lit store have been minimal and include the stocking of a few bedraggled stalks of organic broccoli thrown into an ice-cooled case. With a merchandising scheme reminiscent of the Soviet Union, the store doesn’t offer much of a fresh meat or fish selection, yet it sells 37 different kinds of hot dogs and 67 kinds of air fresheners, not counting scented candles. Even the antiquated bakery seems picked over, with many shelves empty, as though the staff hope it’ll turn into a sushi bar before they have to make another batch of muffins.

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Neiman Marcus Walnut Creek hosted a fashion show in collaboration with Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream Foundation. The intimate gathering at the upscale store included mouthwatering bites, champagne, and a runway show featuring several special-occasion looks. Proceeds from the soiree support the work being done by Always Dream to advance early childhood literacy.

This popular Oakland fest drew droves of foodies who craved street eats and sweets from more than 50 of the Bay Area’s finest food purveyors—plus cocktails, wine, and craft beer from various local vendors. Benefiting the Food Craft Institute, the three-day extravaganza in Jack London Square also featured music, special culinary classes, and activities for kids.

The Monument Crisis Center feted its 15 years with a lively commemoration that featured delicious fare, drinks, and music at its Concord facility. In honor
of the milestone, the organization also started a matching campaign to raise $15,000 for its numerous programs that support low-income families and
individuals in Contra Costa County.

Save Mount Diablo hosted its signature fundraising gala at the China Wall formation in Mount Diablo State Park, garnering more than $460,000 for the preservation of open spaces. More than 500 guests enjoyed a three-course dinner, wine, entertainment, and auctions while taking in majestic views.

This popular Oakland fest drew droves of foodies who craved street eats and sweets from more than 50 of the Bay Area’s finest food purveyors—plus cocktails, wine, and craft beer from various local vendors. Benefiting the Food Craft Institute, the three-day extravaganza in Jack London Square also featured music, special culinary classes, and activities for kids.

Professional golfers, local celebrities, and athletes—such as Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry—competed at this annual golf tournament held at the TPC Stonebrae Country Club in Hayward. Hosted by the Pleasanton-based mortgage software company Ellie Mae, the weeklong event raised roughly $150,000 for several charities, including the Warriors Community Foundation, which offers education and development programs to underprivileged students around the Bay Area.

The Pleasanton-based Tyler’s Grace Foundation feted its fifth anniversary by hosting a fundraising gala at the Diablo Country Club, where nearly 300 guests gathered to enjoy cocktails, an elegant dinner, auctions, music, and dancing. Proceeds from the benefit will support 30 families affected by cancer.

The 2018 Taste of Oakland festival series in Jack London Square celebrated the unique musicians, culinary talents, and technological innovation coming out of Oakland and the Bay Area. The event benefited Youth Aid Nonprofit, a charity that provides free summer camps and music lessons and teaches
business fundamentals to local youths.

To raise funds for Diablo Ballet and its educational PEEK Outreach Programs, 280 people sipped, savored, and strolled their way through downtown Walnut Creek, where several businesses served special drinks and culinary creations
to attendees. business fundamentals to local youths.

The Oakland Zoo celebrated the grand opening of its 56-acre California Trail expansion with cake, refreshments, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Guests were treated to a first look at the new permanent exhibition, which re-creates habitats for eight native California species, including the jaguar, grizzly bear, and gray wolf. Twenty-five years in the making, the California Trail aims to highlight the Golden State’s natural history while also promoting wildlife conservation.

The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano hosted its biggest bash of the year at Round Hill Country Club in Alamo, where more than 200 guests gathered for cocktails and a silent auction before enjoying a three-course dinner with wine. The annual fundraiser supported the Community Produce Program, which provides about 250,000 pounds of produce each month to people in need.